Sinn Féin's North Belfast representative, Mr Gerry Kelly, has said he has no regrets over the actions he took during the fierce rioting in Ardoyne on Monday night that could have helped save the lives of British soldiers and PSNI officers.
Mr Kelly, a former IRA prisoner, tried to prevent nationalist rioters intent on injuring or possibly killing British soldiers and police officers on the Ardoyne Road on Monday.
Mr Kelly suffered a broken wrist when, he said, he was struck by a policeman's baton after he intervened in the rioting. He was also brushed aside by nationalists who refused to heed his appeals for calm. Nonetheless, the intervention of republicans such as Mr Kelly helped bring about a degree of order. This was vital because at one stage British paratroopers were almost isolated from their colleagues and such was the fury of the rioters, the soldiers were in danger of being seriously injured or killed.
While Mr Kelly's actions gained some positive publicity, many in Ardoyne resented the restraining influence of republicans on Monday night. Mr Kelly said that "of course" he was glad no one was killed or seriously injured.
"I do not feel uncomfortable with what I did on the Twelfth. I am an elected representative. We are in a peace process. I was there to represent residents and sometimes that means arguing against some of them. I was there because I have certain principles," he said.
"I believe in what I am doing, and I will continue to do it, even if that means you end up falling out with people, maybe, that were friends with you the day before," he said, adding: "We managed to save lives."
Mr Kelly said a "dirty deal was done" involving Northern Secretary Mr Paul Murphy, unionist politicians, the Orange Order and the PSNI to allow the loyalist supporters of the Ligoniel Orangemen to march past Ardoyne shops.
He said this was contrary to the Parades Commission's determination which stated only Orangemen should parade on Monday at Ardoyne, accompanied by neither a band nor supporters. In turn, the police and Orangemen contended, first, that the commission's ruling was overturned by a subsequent judicial review stating that the commission could not have jurisdiction over how the supporters should act, and that, second, as the supporters went past Ardoyne five minutes after the Orangemen, they were not part of the parade.
Nationalists are still at odds with unionists, police and Orangemen over which interpretation is correct. Mr Kelly indicated that Sinn Féin could legally challenge the PSNI decision to force the loyalists past Ardoyne, which might finally resolve which interpretation is correct.
Good Friday Agreement all about making the North a shared place: Gerry Adams, page 14
